Namibia’s presidency announced on Sunday that President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has dismissed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry, Mines, and Energy, Natangwe Ithete, just a few months after his appointment in the new administration.
In a statement, the presidency said the decision was made “to ensure continuity and effective coordination within this vital sector,” adding that the president herself will henceforth oversee the Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Energy.
The statement did not specify the reasons for the dismissal but confirmed that Ithete will continue to serve as a member of parliament. He was appointed in March as part of President Nandi-Ndaitwah’s newly formed government.
The Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Energy is one of Namibia’s most strategic portfolios, overseeing vast natural resources including uranium and diamonds, as well as recent oil discoveries that the country hopes will lead to its first commercial crude production by 2030.
Analysts view the president’s decision to personally take charge of the ministry as a reflection of the government’s growing focus on the energy sector amid increasing regional competition for oil and mining investments.